Obesity

							     Deepdale Equine Clinic, Unit 14 Deepdale Business Park, Buxton Road, Bakewell DE45 1GT 01629 810351


                                       Client Information Sheet

Obesity
Like all other animals and humans, horses can suffer from obesity and obesity in horses causes many of the same
problems such as increased risk of heart disease and diabetes as well as laminitis in the hoof because of the extra
weight. Horse obesity is more common due to the fact that horses are designed to gain weight during the summer to
get them through the winter with less food, in captivity however, the supply of food is steady and therefore the weight
never gets lost. Older horses that have retired are more susceptible to horse obesity because they generally get less
exercise and eat the same amount. Another major course of obesity in horses is that many horse owners think that a
healthy weight horse is actually underweight and want their horses to look well fed.

How to work out your horses weight

   Weigh tape – available from all good saddlers
   Weigh bridge
   Using the formula:

    Bodyweight (kg) = Heart girth (cm) ² x body length (cm)
                                      11877




Body condition scoring
Body condition scoring is a guide used to score and assess your horse’s condition. It is useful for monitoring and
assessing your horse on a regular basis. The horse is graded from 0 – 6 with 0 being very poor and 6 being very fat.
The ideal body condition score is 3. Visit the following web sites for guides on body condition scoring or ask at the
clinic for a guidance sheet.

http://www.wikihow.com/Condition-Score-a-Horse
http://www.newc.co.uk/advice/bodyscore.php                              Using a grazing         Weighing a horse
                                                                        muzzle                  with a weigh tape
Tips for weight loss
 Weigh your horse or pony regularly and monitor their weight
 Increase exercise
 Restrict grazing
 Feed little and often
 Use a grazing muzzle
 Feed low energy feeds that are high in fibre
 Don’t overfeed
 Use a small holed hay net

Some problems horses may get due to being overweight
 Laminitis
 Bone, tendon and joint injuries
 Lameness
 Equine gastric ulcers – may occur if the horse have very limited access to food in an attempt to aid weight loss.
   The ulcers are caused by a build up of acid due to there being little/no food passing through the stomach.
 Lethargy
 Reduced performance